My Bloody Valentine
by PrimaFaba
Summary: FINALLY COMPLETED! "So picking up the pieces now, where to begin?/ The hardest part of ending is starting again." Part 3 of the Cassandra's Legacy series. Rated T for violent imagery/ideas and language.
1. Good Times

C**assandra's Legacy:**

**Book 3: My Bloody Valentine**

_Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own NinjaStorm or any other part of Power Rangers, which I suppose is a good thing for Tori. I also don't own the song "My Bloody Valentine", by Good Charlotte._

**_Added Disclaimer: In this storyline, for reasons which will become obvious, Thunder Storm never happened/will happen (as much as I love that episode). _

_This is the sequel to __The One I Love__, which is the sequel to __My Last Breath__. It takes place about a month after __TOIL__, and it starts maybe a week after NS ended. _

_Before I begin, I would also like to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has reviewed the last 2 installments, added them to story alert, and/or added me to author alert, including: BellaVision, damonXelenaXforever, Jaina87, JasonLeeScottFan, MidnightMoonWarrior, Neon765, FallenAngel-OnyxAmethyst, IAmTheBoss, iceprincessforever, PlantyPie, xotiptopxo, XoxMountainGirlxoX, DragoonShana, FreakYouOut, SydSue1206, PinkGurl110, a.k.a xxsakurarokzxx, ToastedMarshmellow08, PurpleWildcat2010, and Ava256. It is a major confidence boost and really means a lot! Major thanks are also due to anyone who is still even remotely following the storyline at this point. Family matters, planning for a major cross country move , and applying to/paperwork-ing for graduate school have made life more complicated even than usual over the last few months - not to mention some major writer's block with a problematic part of this chapter. :-) Hopefully (as I feel I've had to say several times with this series), the twist at the end will be worth waiting for! _

_Finally, as always please Review! __The further I get into this series, the more shaky I am as to the quality of my writing, so any and all constructive comments, good or bad, are greatly appreciated! _

**Chapter 1: Good Times**

Tori Hanson smiled indulgently as she drove her blue van down the road out of the woods. For the past week, she and her friends had been camping in the woods near Ninja Ops, and now it was time to come home. You would think that, after a week of 'roughing it', the team would have been exhausted, ready to get home and relax. Goodness knows, she was. But you couldn't say the same for Dustin, Shane, Hunter, Blake, and Cam, who were having a heated debate over which female Ranger was hottest.

"No way, dude, Mighty Morphin' Pink was definitely the hottest. Man, she was so hot…." Dustin trailed off, a dreamy look in his eye.

"Bro, don't even think of drooling on me," Hunter warned, holding up his hands in disgust. "Anyway, I think we all know the only babe in Ranger history was Astronema. The way she looked in those leather suits….Man, that was sick dudes. Nothing can compare. "

"I'll be sure to let the Red Space Ranger know that," Cam snickered. "I'm sure he'd love to kick your ass." A chorus of laughs rang around the small space.

"No, way, man." Shane said. "I mean, she was cool and all that, but…you want to see hot? Check out the Yellow Space Ranger, man she was a beaut! I totally envy Space Red."

"Not a chance," Blake laughed. "Space Yellow? C'mon Shane, you can do better than that."

"No!" Shane persisted. "I swear, dudes, I lived for those comics.

"Uh uh," Cam said.

"' 'Uh uh' what?" Hunter asked.

"The hottest Ranger chick…was most definitely Pink Lost Galaxy."

"Her!" His friends practically screamed in disbelief.

"No way, dude! She was like, a geek girl extreme!" Dustin said,

"Well, I'm a geek guy, so I guess it fits. " Cam smirked back.

"What about you, Blake?" Shane asked, nudging the Navy Ranger, who had been extremely quiet.

"I know who he thinks is hottest," Hunter snickered, nodding his head towards the front seat. The other three burst into hysterical laughter.

"Oooh-oooh!" Shane teased.

"Blake and Tori…" Dustin chanted quietly. Cam just smirked.

"Dustin!" Blake grunted, elbowing his friend. Tori, who hadn't quite managed to hear what they were saying but still got the gist of it, rolled her eyes at them in the rearview mirror.

"Are you guys done drooling yet? I just had that seat cleaned before we left, y'know." Her teammates started laughing again.

"How close are we to home?" Blake asked, eager to change the subject. Hunter grinned knowingly and jabbed him with an elbow. Blake returned the gesture.

"We're about fifteen minutes from Storm Chargers, I think."

"Great!" Hunter said. "That means we still have time to discuss dumbest Ranger moments!"

"I nominate everything Dustin's ever said!" Shane immediately shouted.

As she dropped Cam off at Ninja Ops and pulled back onto the main roads, Tori felt a warm wave of happiness wash over her. This past week had been one of the best of her life. She'd gotten to spend time with her friends, finally be normal again after so many months of Ranger duties, and most importantly, she hadn't had any dreams. In fact, she hadn't had dreams of any kind since the incident outside of Ninja Ops a month ago. It seemed a little strange that things had stopped so suddenly, and Cam had monitored Tori's sleep and the overall battle situation for awhile after. But then things had remained normal and quiet, and gradually, the dreams had slipped to the back of the Rangers' minds. Even Tori rarely let herself think about them anymore – a few freak accidents, to be sure, but nothing that was likely to happen again.

This trip had been special for another reason, she thought less happily as she dropped Dustin and Shane off and continued to the Thunders' apartment. It had been one last adventure as a team before Blake left. A few days before their final battle with Lothor, Blake had received another invite to join Factory Blue, and after Lothor was gone, well….What was keeping him from taking it? It was his dream, and all of his friends—Tori included—had encouraged and supported his decision to take the offer. But inside, Tori was tense at the thought of Blake being gone. _Blake has real talent, _she sternly lectured herself, as she had before. _He was born for this. And I'm really happy for him. But. _There was always a but. _ But I wish that 'Factory' and 'us' were two words that went together_. Tori shook herself from her thoughts as she pulled up to the Thunders' apartment. She should just enjoy what time they had .Smiling, she gave Hunter and Blake friendly hugs good-bye, although a careful observer—like Hunter, for instance—would have and did notice that she hung onto Blake a little bit longer. Hunter glanced back over his shoulder and shook his head smilingly as he and Blake made their way to the apartment.

_I don't know what she'll do once you're gone, little bro, _he thought to himself as he looked at his visibly-saddened brother. Blake was always a little down after saying good-bye to Tori.

A few hours later, having excitedly told her mother all about their camping trip, Tori glanced at the clock and saw that it was getting pretty late.

"I'm gonna head up to bed, Mom. It's late and I didn't get much sleep this week." Her mother nodded and offered a good night kiss.

"Good night, honey." Tori smiled and headed up the stairs to her bedroom. Sighing contentedly, she changed into a pair of blue pajamas with dolphins on them, ran a brush through her hair, then climbed underneath her covers and was soon fast asleep.


	2. My Bloody Valentine

**Chapter 2: My Bloody Valentine**

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_OC Disclaimer: In this chapter (and following), I use a minor (1 episode) character from the Ninja Storm series, in a way that is not necessarily supported by his (very brief) character development in the show. I acknowledge this, but also note that his short time on-screen does not *rule out* the characterization that I am using, and I needed someone to place in this role without the need to spend time introducing and developing a completely-original character. You have been warned._

The next time Tori opened her eyes, the early sun had not yet begun streaming through her window. She glanced at the clock, whose patient, clicking hands told her it was only 3:30. So why was she awake?

Because the phone was ringing.

Without knowing why, Tori felt a chill of fear shroud her heart. Her hand trembled as, holding her breath, she picked up the blue receiver and slowly brought it to her ear.

"H-hello?" she whispered into the phone.

"Tori," said a boy's voice. It took her a second to recognize that it was Dil. She slowly let her breath out.

"Dil?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" she groaned irritably.

"Yeah, yeah I know. Listen Tori, I need you to promise me something." There was an expectant silence.

"What's that?" she said cautiously, by this point totally confused.

**_Oh my love, please don't cry._**

**_I'll wash my bloody hands and_**

**_We'll start a new life. _**

"Promise me you won't cry. Everything will be okay, and we can have a life together now."

"What?" Tori demanded. "What are you talking about?"

"I can wash all the blood off. We can start over." Tori felt the first tinges of fear creep up her spine.

**_I ripped out his throat,_**

**_And called you on the telephone to _**

**_Take off my disguise,_**

**_Just in time to hear you cry when you,_**

"Look, Tori, I called because I have to tell you something. I love you. I love you with all my heart. I want to be with you." Tori didn't know how to answer.

"Huh?"

"Tori, I've always loved you, but I couldn't show it. There was something in the way. But now it's gone, and I can let it all out. " Another long, uncomfortable silence while Tori searched for words.

"Tori?"

"Yeah?"

"I ripped his throat out. " Tori's heart stopped. A lump rose in her throat.

"Oh my God…." She whispered. "Who?" Silence, again, but shorter this time.

"Blake." Tori was unable to stop the piercing wail from bursting out of her.

"NO! NO, you're LYING! You have to be! Oh my God…." Tears poured down her face thick and fast. She was overcome by hiccups of grief, and couldn't even manage the breath to answer him as he pleaded with her to stop crying. _No, no, It's not true!_

**_You mourn the death of your bloody valentine_**

**_The night he died._**

**_You mourn the death of your bloody valentine_**

**_One last time._**

"Don't worry, Tori." That cursed voice again.

"DON'T WORRY? MY GOD, ARE YOU CRAZY? DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?"

"Don't worry, Tori. You won't ever have to see him again. You won't ever have to see the blood. You won't ever have to see your bloody valentine again." Tori screamed again, wondering why no one was coming. Why hadn't Hunter called? Why hadn't someone called? Did no one else care? How could Hunter not know….? How could he not know his own brother was dead? His only brother? This was not possible

"You're lying," she suddenly accused Dil, hoping he would agree with her, hoping that he would laugh and say, that's right, it's only a prank. Blake is fine.

"No, Tor…" Dil said softly, gently, almost-consolingly.

"HOW COULD YOU?" Tori screamed, grasping hysterically at the tangle of sheets lying around her. "How could you be so SICK? Do you have any idea what you have done?"

**_Oh my love, please don't cry._**

**_I'll wash my bloody hands and_**

**_We'll start a new life._**

**_I don't know much at all,  
>I don't know wrong from right,<br>All I know is that I love you_**

**_Tonight._**

"That doesn't matter, Tori. I don't know. I just know that I love you. That's all I know. That's all that matters." Tori's mouth hung open in disbelief at his words. _How could I have been so wrong? _She lamented. _I thought I knew him, I thought he was an okay guy - but I didn't know him at all!_ She broke into fresh sobs as she realized that Blake was an even better guy. At least he used to be. He wasn't anyone anymore. Just a memory.

"Please stop crying, Tori," Dil coaxed her. "Don't worry about me. We can get away. I can wash the blood off, and you and me, we can go away and start a new life somewhere. I mean, I don't know where we're going or what we'll do, but I know that I love you, tonight and all nights…Isn't that enough?"

Tori's hand shook as she slammed the receiver down, then picked it up again and dialed 9-1-1. "I'm calling the police," she said to the empty room.

"Hello, Blue Bay Harbor Police Department."

"Umm…" Tori struggled to get the words out. "I just got a call from this guy I know, and he says he killed my boyfriend." She wasn't sure why she'd called Blake her boyfriend. _I mean, he isn't really….I wanted him to be, and he wanted to be, but now he'll never be my boyfriend…._A voice broke into her thoughts.

"Miss? Are you still there?"

"Yeah…"Tori said in a strangled voice."Yes, I'm here," she added, more firmly.

"Okay, what is your boyfriend's name and address?"

"Blake Bradley, 222 Greengrove Drive, Apartment 3C. He-he lives with his brother Hunter."

"Okay hon, and what is your name?"

"Tori Hanson, 69 Fairmount Terrace."

"Okay, we're sending a car out right now to check on your boyfriend, and I've asked a patrol car in the neighborhood to stop by your house."

"Alright…" Tori managed to whisper.

Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Tori peeked out through the small window beside the door and saw an officer holding his badge. She quickly opened the door.

"Miss Hanson?"

"Yes," she confirmed shakily.

"We're going to take you to your boyfriend's apartment now. The other patrol car has already arrived." Tori nodded, followed him out the front door, and climbed into the back of the car.

**_There was…_**

**_Police and flashing lights,_**

_**The rain came down so hard that night.**  
><em>

The first thing Tori saw when she arrived at the scene was flashing lights. Bright yellow and red and blue, shining brilliantly in a huge ring around the building where Blake and Hunter lived. She saw the crowds, residents of the building and neighboring buildings huddled in small groups, whispering together and staring unabashedly at the scene unfolding there. She saw rain, pouring down in droves and drenching the crowds, the cars, the police tape. As she climbed out of the car, she saw Dustin, Shane, and Cam on the other side of the scene, pushing their way through the crowds. _So they've heard…._Tori thought distantly, feeling like she was in another world.

But then she lifted her eyes and caught sight of a tragedy unfolding.

Hunter, being escorted from the building.

Hunter, weeping hysterically.

And Dil, being led out of the building, sporting handcuffs, being pushed by two officers through the crowd to a police car. He looked around, saw her, smiled at her.

Tori felt a wave of nausea sweeping over her. It was all she could do not to vomit, and she swayed dangerously on her feet. And then she saw them.

Two EMTs exiting the building, with a stretcher between them. There was an ambulance. But they were not rushing. They were taking their time.

On the stretcher was a body bag.

Scarcely aware of what she was doing, Tori felt a scream rip out of her lungs, felt herself tearing from the grasp of the officer who had brought her there, felt herself rushing across the lot to the stretcher and grabbing onto one of the EMTs.

"It's not him! It's not true! Please tell me it's not true!" she pleaded. The young man looked at her wordlessly, sadly.

"I'm sorry, miss," he said, and helped his partner bring the remnants of the man she loved over to the ambulance.

Tori felt dizzy. She could see her friends, tears in their eyes, making their way towards her, trying to be strong for her sake. She could see Hunter, standing with an empty look in his eyes, by the wall. But she was hardly aware of any of it.

But gradually she became aware of the voices around her, the gossip of Blake's neighbors, and the news reporters telling the story emotionlessly to waiting cameramen.

**_The headlines read "A Lover Died." _**

**_No tell-tale heart was left to find._**

"Did you hear? Horrible thing. That murderer ripped him to pieces. Cut him down!"

"Poor kid, the cops couldn't even find his heart. The bastard ripped it right out of him "

_ "Tonight on Eyewitness News, a terrible tragedy in Blue Bay Harbor. Less than 2 hours ago, 19-year-old Blake Bradley was murdered by 18-year-old Dillan Mathers. Mathers apparently was jealous of his girlfriend, who received a phone confession from Mathers about 30 minutes ago."_

"A Channel12 exclusive! Blake Bradley's girlfriend, who received a confession by his murderer over the phone! Miss Hanson, what did it feel like to hear the killer describe your boyfriend's murder?" Tori cried out, pushed the microphone away, and ran off into the crowd, with the words of the various news stations ringing in her ears: _"Tonight on HarborNews, A Lover Died. Just 2 hours ago, 19-year-old Blake Bradley…." _

**_When you,_**

**_You mourn the death of your bloody valentine_**

**_The night he died._**

**_You mourn the death of your bloody valentine_**

**_One last time. _**

**_Oh my love, please don't cry._**

**_I'll wash my bloody hands and_**

**_We'll start a new life._**

**_I don't know much at all,  
>I don't know wrong from right,<br>All I know is that I love you_**

**_Tonight._**

"Tori." She spun around to see Shane, Hunter, Dustin, and Cam standing there, tears in their eyes. Just looking at Hunter's face, she broke down into sobs again.

"Oh my God…" she flung her arms around Hunter, weeping uncontrollably. He hugged her back, trembling, sharing her sense of horror.

"Tori…" Shane broke in, gently laying a hand on her shoulder. She slowly let go of Hunter and turned to face him. "Tori, they're saying that the killer called and confessed to you…" She nodded tearfully.

"Yeah, he did….What happened? How…? How did he even know where to go!" She began crying again.

**_Tonight…._**

**_He dropped you off,_**

**_I followed him home.  
>Then I stood outside his bedroom window.<em>**

Hunter's voice was broken and hollow as he explained.

"The police told me everything. Dil told them. He didn't even care. He wasn't even ashamed!" Hunter said, almost at a whisper. "He was proud of killing my brother." He brought a hand to his eyes and quickly wiped his tears away. After he'd composed himself, he continued.

"Dil was hanging around at Storm Chargers when we came home today, waiting for you. He got on his bike and when…when you dropped us off, he followed you to our apartment…He…he said that he stood outside the bedroom window and waited until we went to bed, about midnight. I…I didn't hear a thing!" Hunter shouted, suddenly falling into broken sobs. Shane put a comforting arm around his shoulder.

"It…it's okay dude. I mean, you couldn't've known. None of us could have." Hunter shook his head, struggling to get under control. Cam sighed sadly and looked at Tori.

"Blake left the window open to let some air into the room after he went to bed. Dil cut through the screen, and…and…" Cam swallowed. "Dil said that he was standing over Blake with a knife when Blake woke up suddenly. Dil had the knife to his throat. Blake begged him to stop, tried to stop him, but Dil was too quick. He cut his throat, and…and then he ripped his heart out, Tori." A strangled sob escaped from Tori's throat.

"Oh God, no…"she moaned, bringing her hand to her mouth."God, no. This is all my fault!"

"Tori, no," Dustin said quickly. "It is not your fault. You loved Blake and he loved you too, and Dil's just screwed up dude, and just because he was jealous of you and Blake does not make this your fault."

Hunter, staring blankly ahead, spoke suddenly. "He was laughing."

"What?" Tori said, staring at him.

**_Standing over him, _**

**_He begged me, not to do_**

**_But I knew, had to do 'cause I'm_**

**_So in love with you._**

"He was laughing. That bastard was LAUGHING. He said, '_I told that little punk, I said to him while he was bleeding all over the place and dying, I said, "Sorry bro, nothing personal….I just had to do it, is all. And now that you're gone, Tori is all mine." And I laughed in his face right when he died._' And then he LAUGHED. God, that sicko LAUGHED!" Tori fell to her knees.

"Oh my God, Blake…Oh my God…" Tori's eyes filled with tears as she looked at the ground. "This is not happening. This is NOT HAPPENING!" she screamed suddenly. Her friends looked at her wordlessly with tears in their own eyes. "It's NOT REAL!" she shrieked. She looked up at her friends in anguish, only to see their faces fading away. "What's happening?" she cried out as the scene grew more and more blurred, until suddenly it all faded into black.

**_Oh my love, please don't cry._**

**_I'll wash my bloody hands and_**

**_We'll start a new life._**

**_I don't know much at all,  
>I don't know wrong from right,<br>All I know is that I love you_**

**_Tonight._**


	3. A Surreal Morning

_Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing_.

Chapter 3: A Surreal Morning

"NOOOOO!" Tori screamed as she sat up in bed, tears pouring in rivers down her cheeks. Gasping for breath, she looked around and realized that she was back in her own room. "I can't believe this is happening," she said aloud, tearfully. "He can't be dead. He isn't dead. It's not possible." She said the last part in a whisper, bringing her hand to her mouth. Taking deep breaths to steady herself, Tori tried to figure out what to do next.

She jumped as the phone rang suddenly next to her, a loud and piercing ring. She looked at it apprehensively. _Whatever it is, I don't want to know. _She sighed in relief when it stopped ringing. _I don't want to know. I don't want to deal with the world right now_. She flopped back on her bed and stared at the ceiling, trying hard not to look at the happy photographs of she and her friends scattered around the room.

A minute later, the phone rang again. She rolled away from it and stuffed her head under the pillow, trying to get away from the unwelcome noise, but whoever was on the line persisted and refused to hang up. She lay back and listened, counting the rings. _I'm sure they'll hang up after it rings for a while_, she thought to herself. But the phone kept ringing. After 15 rings, it went silent. She looked at the phone wordlessly and then returned to staring at the ceiling and watching a tear slide down her nose, but 30 seconds later it rang again. Sighing in defeat, Tori tentatively picked up the receiver and held it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Tori! Why didn't you answer your phone?" A voice demanded on the other end. But not just any voice. Blake's voice.

Tori turned pale and her hand trembled so violently that she almost dropped the receiver.

"B-blake?"

"Yeah…" he said with a weird tone in his voice. There was a pause. "Tori, is everything okay?"

"What do you mean?" Tori managed to say.

"I..don't…know…You sounded kind of weird. "

"No, I-I'm fine," she stuttered. "Umm, what's…up?"

"Well, I was just kind of wondering where you were." Tori narrowed her eyes in confusion. Blake continued, "I mean, it's 10:00, Tor, and we were all gonna meet at the beach today for a picnic, remember? At 9:00?" Tori's eyes widened.

"Holy shit! Is it already 10:00?" She glanced wildly around her room until she spotted the digital clock. Oh yeah, it was definitely 10. "Sorry…I must have…overslept…again…."

"Yeah, I guess so," Blake said, his voice full of curiosity.

"I'll be there as fast as I can," Tori promised, and hung up. As soon as the phone was back in the receiver, she started to leap out of bed. But suddenly she stopped in her tracks.

"Wait," she said to no one in particular. "But…Blake is dead." She shook her head confusedly. "But then, how the hell did he just call me…?" She replayed the conversation in her head. _None of this makes sense. I never oversleep. In fact, the last time I overslept was when…_

"Oh. My. God," Tori breathed, eyes wide in realization and horror. _He didn't die. It was a dream…it was a dream again… _Panicked, she ran her fingers through her blonde hair, attempting to escape from the reality suddenly overcoming her. _This time I can't keep it hidden. I really, really have to tell someone…I mean, this time it isn't me. This time it's one of my friends. I have to stop it. But how…? How do I tell them? How do we know when the right time is? Oh God I'm so scared! _ She took a deep breath.

_ Okay, first thing's first,_ she reminded herself._ You have to meet the guys at the beach. You can tell them then._

Tori shook her head to clear her thoughts, then stood up. She quickly made her bed and straightened her room, rushed to her closet and threw on the first swimsuit and clothes she could find. Shoving the rest of her gear in a duffel bag, she grabbed an apple from a bowl on the kitchen table, then raced outside, climbed into her van, and started the ignition. As she carefully pulled out of her driveway and started for the beach, she glanced nervously at her own reflection in the rearview mirror. _Here goes nothing,_ she said to herself.

Meanwhile, at the beach, Blake clicked the 'End' button on his phone and stared thoughtfully at the phone number fading from his screen. He shook his head briefly and then put the phone back in his pocket just as the other guys came over from where they'd been setting up their towels.

"Did you get through to Tori, dude?" Dustin asked. Blake nodded distantly.

"Yep."

"Well?" Shane said, spreading his arms wide impatiently.

"She's on her way. She, ah…she overslept." Blake said, still staring into space.

"Bro, what's wrong?" Hunter asked, cocking an eyebrow at his brother's odd behavior.

"Well, it's just that…I don't know…she was acting really, really weird."

"Weird how?" Dustin asked.

"I don't know man, just…weird. It just seemed like something wasn't right. She was like, stuttering and totally uncollected. It's not like her." The other four guys exchanged glances.

"Do you think she's having another nightmare-thing?" Dustin asked, voicing the thought that no one else felt comfortable expressing.

"I don't know, dude…but it's certainly possible." The others shifted uncomfortably.

"Well…" Cam said hesitantly. "Let's not ask her right away. Give her a chance to tell us."

"Unless it's something horrible like the last time," Hunter muttered. "Then she wouldn't tell us."

"If she doesn't say anything today, I'll have Dad call her to the Academy and ask her about it," Cam promised.

_Please R&R! Thanks so much to all who are sticking with this story so far. I know it's moving a bit slow but I promise things are going to pick up and get interesting very soon! _


	4. Sacrifice

Again, I own nothing.

I was planning just to post Chapter 3 tonight, but in the interest of moving things along to the interesting part of the story I went for an extra update. Enjoy!

Chapter 4: Sacrifice

__ At about 10:30, Tori finally pulled into the parking lot by the beach, her heart pounding a million miles a minute. She was not sure how to explain this. She was not sure what she would say, or how they would react. She was not sure if she'd be able to control herself when she first saw Blake, having woken to the horrible idea that he was dead. She simply knew that, now that it was not her own life at stake, she could not afford to wait around and hope for last-minute salvation.

Somewhat-unsteadily, she made her way down the beach towards the spot where she and her friends always met. Tori felt like she was about to vomit.

"Hey there, babe," a voice said from behind her. Tori froze. Slowly, scarcely able to breathe, she turned around, and found herself face to face with _him_.

Him. Dil. The person who was going to kill Blake. She reached up to brush a trembling hand through her hair, trying to hide her panic.

"Hi, Dil…." She avoided his eyes as much as possible.

"Hey, look at me," he demanded, and firmly tilted her face to his. "What would you say to some…personal time between you and me?" Tori hesitated. What could she possibly tell this monster? If she said no, Blake was certainly doomed….

…On the other hand, if she accepted…would it turn this hellish nightmare around? …Wouldn't that be worth a little self-sacrifice?

Tori knew in that moment that she held Blake's life in her hands. Determined not to waste any more time, she made her choice.

"….Sure, Dil. That sounds…great," she managed to force out, plastering on a smile that she hoped was convincing.

"Great!" Dil smiled at her, and Tori was thankful to note that there was nothing murderous about it. "How about a picnic at the beach? Tomorrow night?"

"Sounds good," Tori said as perkily as possible. _Just pretend it's Blake. Just imagine you're going on a date with Blake and everything will be fine. _

"Awesome. I'll pick you up at 7:00 tomorrow, then." Dil glanced at his watch. "Sorry to do this to ya, Tor, but I have someplace I have to be pretty soon."

"Oh, it's no problem," Tori reassured him. _Probably the most sincere part of this conversation_, she mused bitterly. She was actually grateful that Dil was going to be leaving so quickly. That would leave her to steel herself for what was to come.

However, she could never have prepared herself for Dil leaning in for a kiss. It was the worst possible thing to have happened. If she didn't respond, Dil would suspect something, and Blake's life would be forfeit. Not to mention, they were drawing a lot of attention from bystanders. So she did the only thing she could.

She kissed back, even though with each passing moment Tori felt more…tainted, more than she had ever felt in her entire life.

The sound of approaching footsteps broke the pair apart. Dil glanced behind Tori for a second, then took her hands and stared her in the eye.

"Catch ya later, Tor. I'll see ya at 7 tomorrow." he said with a funny little smile. And then he was gone. Tori let out a deep sigh. _Finally_. But her relief was to be short-lived.

Hardly had Tori started to pull herself together when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She gave a little shriek and spun around, but it was only her friends. Tori grabbed for her heart, which she was sure was beating about a million miles a minute.

"...Don't…do…that," Tori gasped, taking deep breaths to steady herself, before looking up. To meet five demanding, very angry gazes. Tori raised an eyebrow. "Guys? What's wrong?"

"What's WRONG!" Blake burst out suddenly. "What's WRONG! How can you ask that?"

"No, seriously, guys, what did I do?" Tori asked, less-certainly.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT, TORI?" Blake asked, gesturing vehemently towards Dil's retreating back. Oh. Tori hadn't known that her friends had seen. That complicated things, a lot.

"Uhh…" Tori fidgeted nervously.

"Tori, I thought you said Dil was a total creep!" Dustin protested. Tori was about to reply, 'He is!', but thought better of it.

"I said no such thing," Tori said, but her voice faltered, and she knew her friends saw the lie. _What am I going to do? _She thought miserably.

"I just can't believe you!" Blake yelled. He shook his head and pushed roughly past her.

"Blake, wait…!" Tori said, grabbing for his shirt. He spun around and glared at her in hatred, as Cam grabbed her arm and turned her towards him.

"Tori, I can't believe you did that!" Tori felt her heart would break at the disappointed look on Cam's face. "How could you? Especially considering how Blake's been there for you through all of this dream bullshit!" _The dream…the dream! I have to tell them about the dream…._ Tori thought frantically.

"Guys, please, let me explain…."

"Well, as long as you're explaining, Tor," Shane spat, "Why don't you tell us what you and Dil are doing at 7 o'clock tomorrow night?" Tori froze. Now she was really in deep trouble.

"Just…a…friendly…picnic." Tori finally admitted, in the smallest voice imaginable. Her friends' jaws dropped. Blake let out a strangled noise and headed for the parking lot without another word. "Look, there's something I really have to tell you guys. I—" But most of her friends had already left, jogging after Blake. Jogging to comfort a friend who might not have much time left to live. The very thought sickened Tori, but she couldn't let go of it.

Dustin was the only one who hadn't completely abandoned her. He lingered behind the others, staring after her with a mixture of pity, concern, and sympathy. _Maybe Dustin will listen, at least, _Tori thought with a sudden bit of hope. But no, the other guys were shouting for him to come on. If he came back now, then he'd be in the doghouse, too.

"Call me later, Tor," he mouthed at her, imitating a cell phone with his fingers. And then, one more glance filled with remorse, and he was gone. They were all gone.

_I can't believe this_, Tori thought. _This is like a nightmare. A total nightmare. Oh God, what have I done?_ Falling to her knees in the sand, Tori sobbed harder than she had ever before in her life. She had lost her best friends.

_At least Blake will live now…._Tori thought mournfully.

…_But at what price? _She wondered as she trudged to her van as slowly as possible. Even though the good waves were just coming in, somehow she couldn't bring herself to surf anymore.


	5. Interlude: Back at Ninja Ops

Chapter 5: Back at Ninja Ops (Interlude) 

_Disclaimer: I don't own them. Any of them. _

_Disclaimer Part 2: My canon-consult person (who is not on ) has pointed out to me that, for reasons which will become apparent, this story will be following an AU storyline in which the NS/DT team-up never happened. So, consider this disclaimed. I have also added a (belated) note to this effect to Chapter 1._

_Thanks so much to those who have continued to read, leave feedback, and add me to alert lists, especially dandelion657, damonXelenaXforever, MidnightMoonWarrior, Maleeva, and .Obsessed. It means so much to me and I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks as I get further into the story. Finally, apologies that this took a little longer than usual to get up - I had some writers block on the editing/updating of my old Chapter 5 :-) _

"I just can't believe she did that! " Blake sputtered, pacing ferociously around Ninja Ops. "I mean, what was she thinking? "

"Blake," Hunter began in a reasonable tone. "I really think you should—"

"Back off, Hunter!" Blake interrupted. "I don't care what you think I should do. She practically betrayed me!" He slammed his fist against the table in frustration.

"Dude," Dustin broke in, a bit more firmly than he'd intended. "Don't you think you're kinda, I dunno, overreacting or something? I mean, you didn't even give her a chance to explain."

"Dustin, I know you're inclined to be completely trusting of everyone, but do you seriously think that Tori **had **an explanation?" Cam interjected. "Tori kissed Dil, in front of Blake, after months of…well…being more or less **with** Blake. Those are the facts, and the facts don't lie. " Dustin sighed in exasperation and cast a glance up the staircase he was sitting on, for the thousandth time in the past half hour. _ I wish I could just have had 5 minutes with Tori to find out what's up_.

"Dudes, just…hear me out for a second. Tori **did **kiss Dil. But Tori **also **said that Dil was a creep not 6 months ago. I know she did. Doesn't that ring alarm bells for anybody else? I mean, I dunno, instead of like, ditching our best friend…"

"Dustin," Shane explained patiently, "Tori is still one of us, it would be hard to change that. But she messed up, big time. And until we work out how to deal with that, well, she better just stay away. We can get along without her for a few days, and so can you. Let it go! " Dustin threw up his hands and sighed.

"All I can say, is that something's not right here."


	6. The Rest of My Life

Chapter 6: The Rest of My Life

_Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Power Rangers. Or any part of Good Charlotte's album "The Young and the Hopeless" which may be represented in this chapter. _

Tori just couldn't believe it.

Some day this had been.

She'd woken up to the realization that Blake was dead, only to find that he was still alive, but that he might not be for long. She'd made it to the beach, been totally creeped out by Dil, and been granted a shot at salvation for Blake. But in the process, she'd locked herself into a really, really bad situation, and lost her friends.

And now, she was in her room. Alone. On a Friday night. Moreover, she was doomed to a long succession of Friday nights spent alone. Maybe even a lifetime of them. And all because of her stupid, prophetic dreams.

"What's wrong with me?" she asked herself miserably. "Why did I have to turn out such a freak?"

…_Why couldn't I have let Seamstra's needle take me while I still had the chance? _The morbid thought stole unbidden, unwanted, across her mind. The sad thing was, she couldn't deny the logic of it. Meeting the guys had been the best thing that had ever happened to her. Her life before them seemed dull and miserable by comparison. Facing the idea that all of that might be gone forever, was one thing she simply could not manage.

And what about Blake? He may have majorly overreacted to the situation – maybe even been a little unfair - but she still cared about him, obviously. Of course, now she had made a mess of everything. Blake loathed Dil, as did they all. Now that she was actually dating the creep, would Blake ever have anything to do with her again? Would he ever again favor her with that dashing smile, the one that seemed to be meant only for her? Or would Tori spend the rest of her life feeling awkward in his presence, making up excuses not to hang out, he making up excuses to get away on the few occasions that they were thrust together? Actually, come to think of it, would she ever be welcome to hang out again? She wasn't too sure about that one….

Sighing in total misery, Tori hunted through her CDs for something to cheer herself up. Forget about all her normal music, she needed something peppy, pop-y, and totally out of fashion. This called for a dig through the big box in the back of her closet. After about ten minutes of rummaging, she finally popped up with Good Charlotte's album, T_he Young and the Hopeless._

"Wow, a title meant just for me and my awesome new life," Tori muttered sarcastically as she popped the CD in and set it on shuffle. She flopped on her bed as "Boys and Girls" came on. She couldn't deny that the song was catchy, and she sang along energetically…maybe a little too energetically. "BOYS WILL LAUGH AT GIRLS WHEN THEY'RE NOT FUNNY!" Tori sang loudly, remembering every moment that her now-ex-friends had ever laughed at her and ridiculed her more-girly side. By the end of the song, Tori was bouncing on her bed to the rhythm, and feeling much better. Maybe, just maybe, she could last through these empty Friday nights. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Tori didn't recognize the next song, but that was hardly surprising. She'd bought the album for the sake of two or three big hits on it, and had only listened to the rest of it once.

_"Oh my love, please don't cry/ I'll wash my bloody hands and /We'll start a new life. "_

"Bloody hands?" Tori mused aloud. "That's a little…disturbing." A short, harsh laugh escaped her lips. _Silly band. You think you're being all angsty and tough. Well, you're not. _

"_I ripped out his throat,/And called you on the telephone to /Take off my disguise,/Just in time to hear you cry when you,/ You mourn the death of your bloody valentine…."  
><em>Tori turned white. Suddenly, she wasn't laughing at Good Charlotte anymore. 'Ripped out his throat? Called you on the telephone?' It was almost as though the song was telling the story of her dream.

And wasn't 'bloody valentine' the name Dil had used to describe Blake? "_You won't ever have to see your bloody valentine again." _That was what Dil had said. That was how he had tried to console her. Don't cry. You won't see the blood. You won't have to see what happened to Blake.

"_There was…/Police and flashing lights,/The rain came down so hard that night./The headlines read "A Lover Died." /No tell-tale heart was left to find."_

"Okay," Tori said around a lump in her throat, to no one in particular. "This isn't funny anymore!" She was visibly struggling to control herself, and totally failing.

With a sudden desperate movement, she yanked the power cord out of her CD player. The song cut off suddenly mid-note.

Tori had never been so glad for silence in her entire life.

_Why won't this go away…?_


	7. No Escape

Chapter 7: No Escape

_Disclaimer: I own nothing. _

_As always, a big THANK-YOU to those who continue to review and favorite/alert, including SydSue1206, .Obsessed, damonXelenaXforever, MidnightMoonWarrior, dandelion657, and nikki500. You guys are the greatest! _

The next morning dawned for Tori the same as the last.

Namely, she woke up screaming in horror.

The dream had come back.

Which, if Tori stopped to think about it, was probably not a very good thing. Yesterday, she had put herself in a pretty bad situation in order to "start" something with Dil, so that he wouldn't take revenge. She had supposedly corrected the problem. But if the dream was still there, then it was still in her future. That could mean only one thing.

She'd failed. Dil was going to kill Blake anyway. Maybe not the same way, but he was going to. And she needed to tell her friends about this right away.

Except, since her friends weren't speaking to her right now, telling them might be kind of difficult. Tori screamed through gritted teeth, in total frustration.

Tori waited patiently for the ringing to stop.

"Hello?" That voice. The voice that gave her butterflies in her stomach. Was this the last time she'd hear it when it wouldn't be filled with fury at her?

"Blake, it's me. Look, I have to—"

_ Beep beep beep beep…._ Dialtone. "Shit," Tori cursed under her breath. Well, it wasn't like that had been unexpected. Or undeserved.

More ringing. More ringing. Nobody was picking up. Tori squirmed. _C'mon, Hunter, pick up your phone. "_The Verizon customer you have called is currently unavailable."

More ringing. "Tori, stop calling us! Why don't you call your new boyfriend?" Shane ordered. _Beep beep beep beep…._

Ringing again. More ringing. Again, nobody was answering. _Surely Cam at least will pick up, in case it's an emergency…_"The AT&T customer you have called is currently unavailable." _Well, so much for that_. Tori slammed the phone down in frustration.

Well, but, there was still Dustin.

"Hey, this is Dustin's cell phone. I'm riding at the moment, so just leave your name, number, and a short message, and I'll get back to you, dude. If this is Tori, I'll call you later." _Beep! _

Tori hung up sadly. At least Dustin wasn't angry at her, but she couldn't get through to anybody. She briefly considered heading over to Ops…but then again, based on their reaction to her calls, showing up unexpected and uninvited could get messy.

There was only one thing to do. Tori slowly dialed Blake's cell again.

"Hi, you've reached Blake Bradley, the best rider in the world! Nah, just kidding. I'm not around so leave a message after the beep and I'll get back to ya." _Beep!_

"Blake, this is Tori. I know you really don't want to talk to me right now, but you have to listen to me. Blake, you have to spend the night at Ninja Ops. Something's going to happen…your apartment isn't safe. I'll explain later, just please spend the night at Ops! And Blake…I really do care about you…and I'm sorry…. Bye."

Tori sighed in relief. Well, at least she had found a way to warn Blake. At least Blake would be okay for tonight, and tomorrow there would certainly be a chance to explain.


	8. Interlude: My Fate is Sealed

Chapter 8: My Fate is Sealed (Interlude)

_Disclaimer: I still don't own any of them. Additionally, I do not own "Sk8er Boi" by Avril Lavigne, which I reference briefly in this chapter. _

Blake slammed the "off" button his phone with an unusual amount of vehemence.

"Blake? What's wrong?" Hunter asked his little bro, concerned.

"That…was Tori," Blake managed to force out between gritted teeth. Hunter cocked an eyebrow. _She was actually stupid enough to call? _ Suddenly, his own phone began to vibrate. He glanced down. It was Tori, of course. Hunter squirmed uncomfortably. He felt sorry for Tori, and he really did feel like they were being unfair to her, but the fact was that he could hardly betray his little bro over her. He turned his phone off. _Whew! Disaster averted_, he thought with a rueful look at his teammates.

A few minutes later, a high-pitched imitation of "Sk8er Boi" rang out through the small room. Everyone's eyes flicked over to Shane. With a sigh, the former Red Ranger dug through his cargo pants until the culprit was produced.

"Tori," Shane said after looking at the screen, with a dark look. Quickly, he answered the phone: "Tori, stop calling us! Why don't you call your new boyfriend?" Seconds later, he had hung up, and switched his phone all the way off.

"You know what, I don't want to deal with this," Cam sighed as he, too, switched his phone off, before it had the chance to ring. There was silence for a few moments.

"Does anyone else feel kinda bad about all this?" Hunter asked hesitantly. There was a moment's hesitation, and then three heads nodded, slowly.

"It is a little harsh," Blake admitted reluctantly. "But I just can't deal with her right now, y'know?"

"We know, bro," Hunter agreed. "We know. " There was silence, and then a soft buzzing.

"What was that?" Shane asked. "Isn't everyone's phone off?" Blake glanced down at his cell.

"Not mine."

"Is it…her?" Shane asked.

"Yep. She left a message," was the brusque reply. Blake stared at his phone for a moment, and then swiftly, as if he were afraid he'd change his mind, he pressed a combination of buttons.

_"Are you sure you want to delete this unheard message?"_ A few more clicks.

_"Message deleted. Main menu." _And then a soft chime as Blake turned his phone off.


	9. A Date of Destiny, Part 1

Chapter 9: A Date of Destiny Part 1

_Major thanks are due first of all to everyone who read, alerted and/or reviewed the last set of chapters, including: MidnightMoonWarrior, dandelion 657, SydSue1206, SophieKen90, firegirl2010, xx'Gothic-Manga-Girl'xx, PlantyPie, livvixxx, and OnceForgottenAR (). You guys are the BEST! I was a little worried about how the guys' behavior would go across, so thanks especially for the feedback on that aspect _

_Secondly some apologies are due for the delay in updating. Things have been a little ridiculous lately, but my work schedule is opening up for the summer, so I should be more or less good until August (which means I am going to make the best effort possible to have this series complete before then!) _

_And finally, the obligatory disclaimer: I own nothing. None of it, nada. _

It was five minutes to seven, and Tori had never felt so nervous.

She'd spent forever trying to decide what to wear, how far she had to go towards "impressing" Dil in order to keep up the ruse. She'd dressed modestly—a sparkly, but high-cut, baby blue tee, jeans snugly riding her hips, and a sturdy pair of sneakers. It was a beach date, after all; how dressed up did she need to be? She just hoped that what she'd done with her hair and make-up was enough to convince Dil that she'd put some effort and care into it.

It had been a very emotional and difficult couple of hours. She'd done her best not to think about what was actually happening by pretending she was dressing up for Blake – but that, of course, only managed to make her feel worse. By the time seven o'clock came around, the only thing holding Tori's emotions together was the voicemail she had left Blake – that, and the fact that going on a date with Dil, while clearly not a final solution, could not possibly be putting Blake in more danger. Blake was as safe as she could possibly make him...from Dil, anyway.

She froze as the doorbell chimed softly. "Coming!" she called out her bedroom window as she made her way downstairs.

"Hey, babe. You look amazing," Dil greeted her as she opened the front door.

"Thanks," she blushed. "You too." Trembling with both disgust and fear, she allowed Dil to take her arm and lead her to his sleek red convertible. _I wonder if the guys are watching_, she wondered wistfully. _I wonder if they've forgiven me yet_. Slowly she climbed in beside him and settled in for the ride to the beach.

Since the beach was only about ten miles from Tori's place, it was a short ride, and a relatively pleasant one. Dil was animated and friendly, and had a great sense of humor. If Tori hadn't been aware of his plans for Blake, she would have thought Dil a really great guy. In fact, if that nightmare weren't on her mind, she would probably have enjoyed herself a lot more. But that simply wasn't to be, and Tori was burdened the whole night with all the questions. Had she interpreted the dream right? Had she managed to change or at least help Blake's fate? More importantly, what was to become of this? Was this single date going to turn into a full-fledged relationship, a relationship that she would have to endure forever if she wanted to save Blake? And if not forever, how long would she have to keep up this pretense before it was all over?

At the beach, Dil produced several cartons of delectable-smelling Chinese food, and spread it out on the colorful towels he'd brought for their picnic. He'd chosen a spot near the water, behind a face of rocks that hid them from the road. Tori was struck by this choice, as these particular rocks were a favorite spot of hers on the beach. She supposed that, if he was enough of a stalker to do what he did to Blake (or at least, to do that in theory), then he probably knew all about things like this.

After a little while, she began to relax, and sort of enjoy herself. It wasn't every night that she got treated to a beach dinner. Well, actually, she hadn't been on a date since she was 14, so this was a very refreshing change. _Besides_, she told herself, _you told Blake what to expect. He's fine, he and Hunter are at Ops…so what is there to worry about? At least for tonight._

She might have been a lot less at-ease had she known that Blake and Hunter were, at that very moment, driving back to their apartment for the night.


	10. A Date of Destiny, Part 2

Chapter 10: A Date of Destiny Part 2

_Obligatory Disclaimer: I own nothing_

* * *

><p><em>Content Disclaimer: As some of you may have noticed, this story has all along carried a rating of T for violence. The next few chapters in particular will particularly earn that rating and deal with some darker ideas. Please be aware of this while reading.<em>

* * *

><p><em>Several hours later….<em>

Tori found herself laughing—honestly laughing, not just faking it—at Dil's latest surfing joke. She had almost managed to forget why she was there. Dil sure knew how to treat a girl, she thought with a grin.

"Hey, I brought a surprise," Dil told her, flashing her a cute smile. She raised her eyebrows in pleasant curiosity. Dil rummaged in his bag and fished out what looked like a bottle of champagne.

"Oh, Dil, that's really sweet, but aren't we a little young to drink that?" Tori laughed. Dil winked at her.

"Nope," he replied with an infuriatingly knowing smile. He turned the bottle so she could see the label, which read 'Sparkling Grape Juice.'

"Ahh," she smiled. "Very nice." She watched as he pulled out two plastic champagne flutes and poured them each a glass.

"A toast," he proposed. She smiled as she raised her glass.

"To what?"

"To the ocean, and those gnarly waves we ride all the time," he replied mischievously. She laughed at his use of the word 'gnarly.'

"I'll drink to that," she smiled, and touched her glass to his. "To the waves!"

"To the waves." Dil smiled and brought the cups to his lips. Tori took a big sip.

"Mmm, this is delicious!" she said with a blissful expression.

"Never had sparkling grape juice before?" Dil asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Nope, sure haven't." She laughed and set her glass down in the sand. Dil followed suit with a grin and launched into another joke.

"Well, " Dil said, some time later. "I guess we probably ought to be heading back. It's getting pretty late – it's almost 12:30."

"Wow, the time really flew by!" she exclaimed, in total honesty. This night really had gone a lot better than she thought. It was a shame that she had to know Dil's darker side. But then again, maybe she'd been wrong about him. The last time she could have sworn Blake was the murderer, and it had only been Lothor in disguise. Was it possible that Dil was genuinely a good guy, a good guy who would never even think of killing Blake for her? She was still pondering this as she climbed to her feet.

And promptly fell to her knees. Confused, Tori tried to stand up again, but her legs had turned to rubber. She tried to push herself up with her arms, but they had begun to go numb. Another attempt at standing, and she fell face first into the sand.

"Dil," she breathed heavily. "Can you help me up? I feel kinda weird all of a sudden. "

"Weird how? Kinda like you can't move?" Tori nodded, half-laughing at herself. "I know." She stopped laughing instantly, frozen. _He knows…? But that means…._

"I'm sorry to do this to you, Tori. I really did enjoy tonight," Dil continued, apparently oblivious to her sudden panic. "But I can't have you interfering. You and me, we really click, but there's something between us. I have to get rid of it, and then we can be together forever." Tori felt a sudden rush of horror. She tried to scream, but no sound would come out of her throat. Her head was so heavy, so very heavy… too heavy to lift off the sand. She couldn't even see past the dun-colored grains floating in her vision.

"Incidentally," that voice continued as it moved around her. "You'd be surprised at how easy it is to…spice up…a bottle of grape juice." Tori felt sick. _I can't believe I let my guard down…_

"You're probably going to very weak in a few minutes," the voice explained. "I laced your drink with a simple drug. It shuts your body systems down, so even though you'll be fully aware of everything going on, you're not going to be able to move much. Or talk. "

"But then again," he murmured, bringing his mouth down next to her ear. "You're not going to need to do much talking. Just watching." Tori had never felt so helpless. She couldn't even gather the strength to groan in horror. Her body was a giant rock with eyes attached. Nothing more.

Tori was completely helpless to stop the arms that suddenly scooped her up and dumped her on a hard surface. She vaguely recognized the floor of Dustin's Storm Chargers van.

"That fool friend of yours left this in the parking lot of the store. Unlocked," the voice informed her. "I figure, it'd be better if we show up in his ride. Less suspicious, no?" He didn't even wait for her to attempt an answer, just slammed the door and walked around to the front. As he started the engine, the one thought on Tori's mind, her only saving grace, was, _At least I got to warn Blake. He won't be at his apartment. Nobody will. _


	11. Surprises

Chapter 11: Surprises

_Obligatory Disclaimer: I own nothing _

_Thanks so much, as always, to everyone who continues to keep up with this story and especially to those who continue to leave (awesome!) feedback and add me to alerts, including xranger13, xotiptopxo, race2win, FreakYouOut, SophieKen90, OceForgottenAR(), SydSue1206, -drinker, XoxMountainGirlxoX, and dandelion657__**. **__You guys are amazing! Hopefully this story continues to be worth following despite the many delays (and hopefully the coming chapters don't make you hate me too much ;-)). _

_Apologies also that these next 2 chapters are a little short – I will try to have a faster update time this time around to make up for it! _

_Finally, a Content Disclaimer: As some of you have noticed, this story has all along carried at rating of T for violence. The next few chapters in particular will particularly earn that rating and deal with some darker ideas. Please be aware of this while reading. _

Some agonizing time later, Tori felt the van come to a shuddering stop. _We must be at Blake and Hunter's apartment_, she realized with a wave of dread. _I wonder what Dil is gonna do when he finds out Blake isn't there. _It didn't take a genius to figure out that his reaction might not mean well for her. _But at least Blake will be alive. And if Dil tries to do anything too awful, the alarms at Ninja Ops are supposed to go off…aren't they? _

She listened as Dil climbed out of the truck and slammed the door. She heard a scattering of footsteps disappearing into the distance, and then…nothing. _Oh God_, Tori prayed, suddenly panicky and frightened, _please, please, please don't let the guys be mad at me anymore. Please let them catch him. Please, someone help me! _

But then, unexpectedly, the footsteps returned. Tori heard the metal doors behind her swing wide open.

"Our little plan is working out perfectly," Dil hissed with pleasure. "Your little lover boy is fast asleep. He'll never hear a thing." Tori's breath caught in her throat. _No! He was supposed to spend the night at Ops! He was supposed to be safe! _ She gasped helplessly, trying in vain to speak, as Dil tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and swung a rucksack up onto his shoulder. Tori could only watch as Dil climbed the fire escape leading up to the fourth floor, and cut a hole in the screen. "Why don't you wait out here while I wake him up," Dil said with glee. He dumped Tori in a helpless heap on the fire escape, and entered Blake's bedroom.


	12. Interlude: Break In

Chapter 12: Break-In (Interlude) 

_Obligatory Disclaimer: I own nothing _

_Content Disclaimer: As some of you have noticed, this story has all along carried at rating of T for violence. The next few chapters in particular will particularly earn that rating and deal with some darker ideas. Please be aware of this while reading. _

Upstairs in the fourth-floor apartment he shared with his brother, Blake was sleeping restlessly. Every time he finally managed to drift off into slumber, the image of Tori and Dil kissing would invade his dreams.

"Tori, no," he mumbled. "Don't. I love you."

"Rise and shine, bloody valentine," a voice burst into his dreams. Blake woke up with a start, to find a knife at his throat and a leering Dil leaning over him. "Keep it down, lover boy," he ordered, seeing that Blake was about to yell. "If that brother of yours comes in here, I'll cut him down, just like that." He made a sharp, slicing motion with his free hand.

"Wha…What do you want?" Blake managed to ask, gulping slightly at the sharp steel.

"I want what's mine," Dil hissed in his face. "But first, we have a little visitor." Blake didn't like the smirk on Dil's face. "Don't go anywhere," he warned in a sing-song voice, leaning out the window. Blake heard a soft sort of grunt, and the sound of something being lifted from the fire escape, and then Dil was lifting a bundle of blue into the room. Blake stared in utter shock and horror.

"Tori!"

"Are you worried about your precious little girlfriend?" Dil mocked as he moved into the room. "She, unlike you, is going to be just fine. And soon, she'll be my girlfriend," Dil explained. He dumped Tori on the floor. She let out a half-moan and lay still.

"No! What did you do to her?" Blake cried out, rushing to her side. Dil, standing over the pair with a smirk on his face, did nothing to stop him. Blake knelt beside Tori and lifted her into his arms. "Tori?" he asked, brushing her hair gently to the side. She said nothing, but slowly managed to open her eyes. She stared up at him sadly, her eyes filled with tears, with remorse and apology. He tried to help her sit up, but her body seemed to melt in his arms.

"She's not going to move," Dil observed calmly. Blake gently set Tori down and stood to face him.

"What did you do?" Blake asked him in a low, dangerous voice. Dil shrugged it off.

"She's been drugged. Nothing more. Which is not nearly as horrible as what's going to happen to you, by the way." Dil narrowed his eyes and produced a long knife from the rucksack at his side. Blake took a step backwards.

"Why are you doing this?" Blake asked, looking around frantically, debating whether Hunter would be able to fight Dil off if he yelled for help.

"Why?" Dil let out a harsh, raspy laugh. "Why am I doing this? Don't tell me you haven't figured it out yet!" He laughed again when Blake shook his head slowly. "It's simple, bro." Blake let out a low growl at the last word. "I love Tori. But Tori loves you. So, the only way to make Tori see that I'm the only one for her—" he grinned wickedly and rubbed the knife lightly across his palm, "—is to get you out of the way."

"But—But Tori just went on a date with you!" Blake protested, trying to stall. It was obvious that Dil was out of his mind.

"Oh, come off it," Dil growled. "Anyone with half a brain could see that that didn't matter. She still has eyes only for you." He snickered as a strange look came over Blake's face. "Aww, you couldn't see it, could you? A little jealous, were ya? Oh well. It doesn't matter anymore anyway."


	13. My Bloody Valentine: Reprise

_Obligatory Disclaimer: I own nothing _

_Content Disclaimer: As some of you have noticed, this story has all along carried a rating of T for violence. The next few chapters in particular will particularly earn that rating and deal with some darker ideas. Please be aware of this while reading. _

_Major, MAJOR apologies are due for the delay of…basically 3 months, to the day, on this update. As I've mentioned before life has been a little topsy-turvy and within the last few months I have simultaneously made a major move, started graduate school, started a new almost-full-time job, and moved into a new apartment (which lacked internet for, well, a very long time). Inspiration has been a little lacking! The rest of my family will be making the same (major) move very soon, so I have no idea what the next couple of months are going to hold for me. But, I am going to make a determined effort to update at least every few weeks, to the extent that I am able. _

_As always, huge thanks go out to those who continue to read, add and/or review! including (but not limited to): dandelion657, malletgirl, Shievi, MegaC1993, and Micpv1958_

Chapter 13: My Bloody Valentine (Reprise)

"_But—But Tori just went on a date with you!" Blake protested, trying to stall. It was obvious that Dil was out of his mind. _

"_Oh, come off it," Dil growled. "Anyone with half a brain could see that that didn't matter. She still has eyes only for you." He snickered as a strange look came over Blake's face. "Aww, you couldn't see it, could you? A little jealous, were ya? Oh well. It doesn't matter anymore anyway._

Tori could not believe this was actually happening.

_Why on earth was I such a fool? I could have saved him! I could have told him the truth. _All of Tori's instincts screamed for her to climb to her feet and bring Dil down, but her body refused to respond – maybe there was a slight tingling in her legs, but not enough to allow her to move. In desperation she tried to scream for Hunter, but her throat couldn't seem to form even the smallest of sounds. Tori could only watch helplessly as Blake backed away and Dil pressed him up against the bedpost. _Oh God, Blake, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry! _

"Tori is mine, and I will have her!" Dil roared in Blake's face as his knife flashed out in a sudden movement. Blake groaned deeply and fell to his knees as Dil pulled the knife out for another strike.

_Noooo! _Despite herself, Tori squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as she could, and, retreating within her thoughts, willed her ears to close as well. As brave as she wanted to be, as much as she wanted to be there for Blake, listening to the man she loved die – **because of her**, all because of her!—was impossible. Unfathomable.

_You mourn the death of your bloody valentine_

_The night he died._

_You mourn the death of your bloody valentine_

_One last time._

Five minutes later, it was all over. Pools of tears welled up beneath her closed eyelids, shimmering with the vibrations running through the floor which could only mean….

Slowly, Tori opened her eyes, releasing a flood of salty liquid that she was unable to wipe away. Dil stood gleefully over her, over…._Oh God_. She tried to focus her gaze on her tormenter and not his victim, watching him breathe heavily with the exertion, counting his breaths in a desperate attempt to keep herself calm.

Slowly, Dil turned his cold gaze to the girl lying on the crimson-stained floor.

"You know," he drawled thoughtfully, "It occurs to me that someone who insists on remaining so…attached to such an annoying little boy… might not be the most suitable girlfriend." He slowly moved from his position near the bed, circling Tori. "And you know what else," he continued, "I think I'm getting a little bored with you." _Oh no, _Tori thought, a chill moving up her spine. _This is not good…._

"Aren't you the lucky one," Dil mocked. "You'll be with your precious little boyfriend again before he even gets cold. " _Oh, crap. _Tori frantically tried to drag herself out of Dil's reach. A tiny bit of the feeling was finally beginning to return to her limbs, but she was still mostly paralyzed. It quickly became apparent that there was no way for her to escape Dil.

"Say goodnight, Tori," Dil whispered with obvious glee. Tori closed her eyes in horror. _This is it…it's all over now….Don't cry…don't cry…._

Then, unexpectedly, Dil began to laugh. Tori slowly opened her eyes. Dil was looking right at her. "Aww, is the wittle Tori scared?"

Without warning, his knife flashed into her thigh. Tori gasped in agony, but couldn't find a voice to scream with.

"I'll just leave you here, I think," Dil mused. "It will be hours and hours before anyone finds you. By that time, it'll be too late, and I'll make a clean getaway." With a last laugh, Dil grabbed his knapsack and disappeared through the hole in the screen. She heard him clattering down the fire escape, and then he was gone. She never even heard the van's engine. _He must have left on foot_, Tori managed to reason through the pain.

She strained to look at the bleeding wound on her thigh. _This is bad. This is really, really bad. _ Dil was right. Nobody would ever find her in time. Blake was a late sleeper. No one would be looking for him for hours, and by that time she would have lost far too much blood. _I'm going to die_, she slowly realized.


	14. Can't Wake Up From the Nightmare

_Obligatory Disclaimer: I own nothing _

_First: Yay! Finally an update! _

_Second: Major apologies are due to everyone for the huge delay (what is it, 8 months, now?) in updating this cliffhanger. As I mentioned in my last update, there's been a lot of ridiculousness and moving around going in my life, and graduate school and work collectively consume almost all of my free time. _

_I've also struggled a lot with the direction this story is going, which has made me hesitate to update. I've had most of this planned out for years, but planning is so different than sharing with all of my great readers and fans! I have finally decided to go ahead with my original plans. Hopefully the ending (for this part, anyway – I do have a very rough draft of Part 4 in the works) will be worth the read and not disappoint too many of you! I do still anticipate a couple more chapters before we get there, though. I'm planning to get those up by the end of the month. _

_Third: As always, a million thanks are due to those who have continued to read, add and/or review despite the long wait—including, but not limited to, animallover4eva, KrazeeeeeeeKatieeeeeeeee, Shievi, Lamoya smith, OnceForgottenAR (), Mirror's Mirage, DJxDANGAAxCRNPPS, lulucharms, graciegirl000, AwSoMeDuDeJaZz, SalamancaMapleTreeHiddle, nana-tama, HunterBradley, finchelfanatic4ever, powerrangersfangirl22, StoryMaker210 (), espoir1066, becca328. You guys are what keep me (eventually) writing!_

Chapter 14: Can't Wake Up from the Nightmare

_Tori strained to look at the bleeding wound on her thigh. This is bad. This is really, really bad. Dil was right. Nobody would ever find her in time. Blake was a late sleeper. No one would be looking for him for hours, and by that time she would have lost far too much blood. I'm going to die, she slowly realized._

Seconds passed, then minutes, then hours. Tori lost track of the time, lying motionless on the floor. She couldn't quite gather the strength to move, but she wasn't sure if this was due to her injuries or just a lingering side-effect of the drug. The room seemed to spin around her slightly.

At first, the physical pain, and the accompanying shock and fear, had consumed her entire awareness, had mercifully allowed her to ignore the reasons that she was now lying on Blake's increasingly-crimson floor. But now, as the pain began to numb and a sort of stillness settled in, those reasons became harder and harder to ignore. She tried desperately to push them aside – tried to look away, tried to think of something else—but she was unable to ignore his…presence in the room.

Finally, slowly, her eyes again filling with tears, she allowed herself to look. She immediately jerked her head back, staring at the ceiling fighting tears and whimpers which were still inaudible, before hesitantly turning back. She forced herself to watch him for a few moments, hands clenched tightly, desperately looking for any sign that he might still be….But there was nothing. No movement. He was **so still**. So still. With a deep shuddering breath, she turned away again and returned to staring at the ceiling.

_I loved him so much_, she thought, watching a tear slide slowly down her nose. _This is so unfair_. _Why did he have to die? Blake never did anything to deserve this!_ A broken, rasping sob managed to escape from her throat. _Why couldn't Dil have been after me?_ Tori felt sick to her stomach. But there was nothing she could do but lie motionless on the floor, and wait for Hunter to find her. _Hunter! How am I going to explain this to Hunter? _Tori thought desperately. _How am I going to explain this to anyone? They're never going to forgive me._

_This can't be real_, Tori thought, after an hour or two of nothingness. _This isn't real. It's all a dream again. I'm going to wake up, and Blake will be alive and okay, and I can fix everything. None of this ever happened. _

_Oh God, it is true, isn't it? This is all real! _

_I'm starting to get lightheaded..._Tori realized, somewhere around what she estimated had to be 6 am. _I forgot that I was bleeding_. She managed to strain enough to glance down at her thigh. _You can't even see where the knife went in anymore….This is what delirium is, isn't it? _

7 am. _So this is what it feels like to die. This is what it feels like to have your life slowly drained from you_. _How did everything become such a mess? This is all wrong…._

7:15 am. A knock on the door drew Tori's attention.

"Hey Blake!" Tori stirred, dizzily.

"Hunter?" she croaked, inaudibly. She knew there was no way her friend had been able to hear her.

"Blake! Did you forget? We were gonna go to the track and race this morning!" Another knock, and then the bedroom door creaked open.

"Blake?"


	15. The Morning After

Chapter 15: The Morning After 

_Disclaimer: I still own nothing._

_I kept you guys waiting for so long last time, and this is really a very short chapter, so I figured I'd throw in a little extra update :-) Don't worry, already working on Chapter 16! Should be up by next weekend at the latest. _

_..And thanks again for reading and reviewing! :-) _

Tori watched as Hunter took in the scene with a horrified stare: Blake lying crumpled on the floor, motionless. Dark stains everywhere. His eyes met hers for a few seconds, but Tori doubted he'd really registered that she was there. The Crimson Ranger looked as he'd been punched in the gut – and hard.

"Blake?" Hunter ran to his brother. "Blake! Blake! Wake up!" He shook Blake frantically. "Blake, please be okay! Please be okay!" Hunter was rapidly breaking down into sobs as he took in the state of his brother's body and recognized his own color on his hands. "What happened, Blake? You have to be okay! You can't leave me! Please don't leave me!" He shook his head and stepped away from the bed, dazed. "I have to call the cops. I have to call the cops!" He ran out of the room.

"Hello? Hello?" Tori heard him shouting in the other room. "My brother's dead!... I walked into his room this morning, and there was blood everywhere, and…." Tori closed her eyes as a wave of dizziness rushed over her. _I'm going to die. I'm actually going to die. My eyes…so…heavy….I'm coming, Blake. I'm coming. _As the world faded away, she dimly heard footsteps re-enter the room, as if through a mist. Barely heard a voice calling her.

"…Tori? Tori! **Tori!**" Strong arms wrapped around her and lifted her up. "We've got to get you to a hospital. " She moaned softly.

"Hunter?" she tried to ask, but her voice cracked.

"Hold on, Tori, just hold on," he pleaded, right before the world faded to black.


	16. Facing the Reality

Chapter 16: Facing the Reality

_So, first up, apologies for the extremely long delay. I absolutely had every intention of updating by the end of that weekend...almost 2 months ago, oops...as promised. Unfortunately, that weekend I happened to be in the path of the derecho that swept through the eastern US (no major issues here but it did throw everything off kilter), and that was pretty much my last weekend before final papers/exams for my summer classes hit. I now have approximately 2 weeks of work-only "summer vacation," so I'm hoping to finish out MBV by then and at least have a plan on Part 4, for the next lull in the semester. _

_Thanks so much, as always, to those who continue to favorite/review/etc. and thus push my lazy butt to update-Lamoya smith, dandelion657, MegaC1993, HunterBradley, Victoria Bradley, Kumiko-oneechan, 8Cait8Cait8, Guest, Kitten9322, and Guest! _

The next thing that Tori was aware of was a persistent, electronic beeping, agonizing pain, and soft voices.

"Is she going to be okay, man?" a voice whispered.

"The doctor said he thinks she'll pull through fine." A second voice replied, in a strained tone.

"Hunter, was he able to tell you what happened?" Voice number three.

"Only that she'd been slipped a powerful date-rape drug sometime in the last twelve hours."

"But dude, Tori's not stupid," a fourth voice protested. "She wouldn't have…."

"Unfortunately, only Tori can tell us what really happened," the second voice sighed.

_What happened?_

She moaned, and slowly shifted her cramped limbs. _I can move again…._She noticed. _The drugs must have worn off_. She fought to open her eyes, against an incredible wave of exhaustion. _How long have I been out…? _

"She's waking up!" the third voice whispered.

Finally, Tori forced her eyes open, and looked up into four concerned faces.

"Guys?" she managed to whisper, and then was immediately overcome by a coughing fit. Cam quickly reached for a cup of water at her bedside and held it to her lips.

"Easy, Tori," he soothed her. "Don't try to move too fast."

"What happened?" she asked once she'd wet her dry throat. Her friends shared significant glances over her head.

"You…you don't remember?" Shane asked hesitantly. Tori shook her head.

"The last thing I can remember is passing out on Blake's floor…." Horror overtook her then, as the truth of that night's events began to sink in. "Oh God, Blake!" she whimpered, and the sobs she'd previously been forced to hold back burst from her throat in droves. "No! Blake, no! Please tell me it's not true!" Tori looked frantically to each of her friends in turn, as if begging them to deny what she now knew was the horrible truth.

Hunter lost control, then, and bent down to wrap his arms around his friend. Tears streaming down his cheeks, he hugged her close. "I know, Tor. I know…." She wriggled from the ex-Crimson Ranger's grasp and flung herself face down on the bed, clawing at her pillow, shrieking.

"This is all my fault! This is all my fault! If I hadn't been so stupid…!" Shane pulled her up carefully, trying to calm her.

"Shh, Tor. Calm down. You gotta pull yourself together or they'll kick us out." Tori tried to calm down, for her friends' sake, but she just couldn't stop the tears pouring out of her.

"It is my fault! It is!" she screamed. "I knew! I knew and I thought I'd take it into my own hands, and now Blake's dead and it's all my fault!" Dead silence.

"…Dude, Tori, what are you talking about?" Dustin asked. Tori took a deep, shuddering breath, fighting the wave of hysteria rushing over her. _I have to tell them. I have to tell them everything_.

"The night before you saw me on the beach, with Dil," she started slowly, "I had a nightmare that Dil was going to kill Blake."

"You what?!" Cam exclaimed in disbelief.

"I had a nightmare that Dil was going to kill Blake," she repeated carefully, trying not to lose control. "When I got to the beach, I knew I had to tell you guys. I knew this was too serious to play around with. But then…." She hesitated.  
>"But then, what?" Hunter asked, staring at her.<p>

"Dil came up to me, and asked me for a date. You guys…." She struggled to find the right words, as a strangled sob broke from her throat. "You guys haven't been around enough to know how many times I've turned him down before. Hundreds of times. It was…it was always because of Blake, of course, and I never said that but I always felt like he knew that was the reason." Her friends nodded slowly.

"Well," she managed to continue around the lump in her throat, "in the dream, Dil had killed Blake out of jealousy. You know, he had reasoned that killing Blake would make me…available. So…when he asked me out…." She began to cry softly. "I thought that maybe, just maybe, if I said yes, he would leave Blake alone….That, if I said yes, he'd have no reason to kill Blake, and it would all be okay. " Her whimpers increasing by the moment, Tori finally broke down into anguished tears, burying her face in her hands.

"But it wasn't okay!" she burst out tearfully. "It wasn't! He knew. He could tell that I was lying to him, and he killed Blake anyway!" Tears continued pouring down her face as she gasped for air, trying in vain to get a grip on her emotions. There just seemed to be no end to the waves of sadness, no end to the tears. It was simply impossible to grasp what had happened, to understand a world which, because of her, would no longer have Blake in it.

As the four male Rangers struggled to find a response, a nurse entered the room to check Tori's condition. Taking in Tori's red eyes, tear-strewn cheeks and gasping breaths, she immediately ordered the boys to leave.

"She needs **rest**," the nurse reminded them firmly.

"But—" Shane started.

"Wait-" Dustin said as he attempted to step around her towards Tori.

"No 'but's and no 'wait's," the nurse replied sharply, stepping to the side to block Dustin. "Out. **Now**. You can come back to visit tomorrow, if she's better." Defeated, the boys shuffled out of the room. Dustin, casting a glance back over his shoulder, locked eyes with Tori, still crying uncontrollably as the nurse fitted an oxygen mask over her face.

"It's gonna be okay, Tor," he said gently.

"Out!" The nurse raged. With a sigh, Dustin backed out and followed the others out of the room.


	17. Dark Thoughts

_**Apologies for this late addition - I am posting this chapter from work and forgot to include my usual notes!**_

_As always, many, many thanks are due to everyone who has kept up with the story thus far, and especially everyone who has pushed me to keep writing with such amazing reviews! When I began writing I was totally expecting a solid round of flames, and proving myself wrong over the past year has been one of most amazing experiences ever. You guys are the best! Special thanks of course go to bodysurfer27, HunterBradley, LamoyaSmith vs blakeNtori, Kitten9322, Credit18, and fallingstar22, who left probably one of the best rounds of reviews I have** ever** received on Chapter 16. Seriously, you guys, you're going to make me cry! (kidding. mostly.) _

_I suppose this is also a good time to address my evil evil plot twist. I know not everyone who has read (or will read) MBV will be thrilled with this outcome. It was, after all, a Tori/Blake story! And still is. Blake is gone (and yes, he is **really** gone) but Tori won't forget him - that I can promise you. This was always in my original story line and I debated going ahead with it for literally **months** because I was worried what you guys would think - but the story just didn't feel as strong without this ending, so I decided to take the plunge. Hopefully this little twist, however evil, is forgivable, and y'all will stay tuned for Part 4, Title TBD (which is in the planning stages even now)! _

Chapter 17: Dark Thoughts

_Three days later…._

Tori lay silently in her hospital bed, staring at the white ceiling, trying to make sense of all that had happened. It had been three days since she had regained consciousness…three days, 12 hours and 4 minutes since the man she'd known as Blake Bradley had ceased to exist. She forced herself to count the minutes, to return to this horrifying fact at least once an hour, knowing that this was the only way she would ever come to accept its truth.

How the others were coping with the loss of their teammate, Tori did not know. None of the guys had come to see her since that first day. Probably not their fault; after all, she was the one who had asked the nurses to lie about her condition, to tell them that she was simply not well enough for visitors. Still, a part of her was surprised, given the guys' disposition, that none of them had come charging into her room anyway. She supposed that recent events had changed, and would continue to change, many things about their friendship. For her part, Tori wasn't yet ready to face her friends again, especially now that they'd had time to process what she had done. Eventually, it would be time for that moment of truth, where they would either stand by her or condemn her forever—eventually, but for now, it was more than she could bear.

The police had come by later on Day 1, after she'd calmed down a little, to question her and take her statement. She'd given them as much information as she could. Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any question as to Tori's innocence (except in her own mind, of course); unfortunately, the police were not particularly confident that they'd find Dil. He'd already had nearly 24 hours head-start, by that time, and even moving on foot he could have covered a lot of ground in any number of directions.

Knowing that Blake's murderer would likely walk free made everything worse….

A gentle knock on the doorframe disrupted her thoughts. Mary, one of the nurses assigned to Tori's daily care, entered the room with a gentle, resigned expression on her face. Tori knew why she was there; they had a similar exchange every afternoon.  
>"Ms. Hanson, your friends are at the Nurse's Station. They'd like to see you today, if you feel up to it." Tori's gaze shot up.<br>"Did you tell them…?"  
>"I told them I would need to check with the doctor about your condition. Nothing more," Mary reassured her gently. "But, Ms. Hanson…I think they would really like to see you, and forgive me for saying so, but I think you really need them right now."<br>"No," Tori replied sharply. "No. Not now. Not yet. I can't handle this yet," she continued, her angry demeanor quickly breaking down into sobs. "Please, just tell them I can't see anyone yet. Not yet. Maybe tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"  
>"Yes!" Tori insisted, with more vehemence than she intended. The truth was, Mary was right – she did want them, she did need them. She needed their love to fill the hole Blake's death had left in her chest, and she needed reassurance that these people whom she loved more than anyone else were not about to abandon her. Her heart broke every time she had to tell Mary, again, to send them away. But she couldn't allow herself to act on that need, not yet.<p>

Mary stared at Tori pensively for a few moments before nodding softly. "Okay, then," she replied with a shrug, and briskly left the room.

To her credit, Tori managed to keep herself together until Mary had been gone for a solid minute, before crumpling and curling up under the blankets in tears.


	18. Epilogue: Waiting for the End

Chapter 18: Epilogue: Waiting for the End

_****This chapter takes place 4 days after the events of Chapter 17****_

_I am a terrible person. Horrible. I have kept you all waiting for an obscene amount of time, and I do apologize for that (I also recognize how ironically appropriate this chapter title, selected something like 5 months ago, now is for you all). I decided to space my final update out a little bit, and the next thing I knew summer intersession was over, I found myself teaching 80 students for the first time, my own courses resumed with intensity, and…chaos ensued. I actually had the first chapter of the to-be-named sequel written out in the cloud, but somehow lost it. At any rate, I am back now, and hope that despite the ensuing chaos of teaching-classes-comp exams-job searching I will be able to stay more-or-less on track. Updates will be going on my calendar if necessary _

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers. I also do not own the song Waiting for the End, which is owned by Linkin Park. _

_Finally: A hearty thanks, as always, to my reviewers/alerters/favoriters, Kitten9322, HunterBradley, fallingstar22, LamoyaSmith vs blakeNtori, vanillapalmtrees, SoraxKairii, x-Tee1996-x, Credit18, and angel'slittledemon, and everyone else who has kept with me through this – you guys really do keep me writing (Eventually __ )._

* * *

><p><em>4 days later….<em>

Just yesterday afternoon, Tori had heard the song for the first time. Searching for a reprieve from the emptiness, and from the endless wondering about what she was going to do next, she had flipped on the TV and switched through numerous channels before finally landing on the music channel with the song whose lyrics still haunted her.

_**This is not the end, this is not the beginning, **_

_**Just a voice like a riot rocking every revision.  
>But you listen to the tone, and the violent rhythm <strong>_

_**Though the words sound steady,**_

_**Something empty's within 'em. **_

_**We say Yeah! **_

_**With fists flying up in the air,**_

_**Like we're holding onto something that's invisible there,**_

'_**Cause we're living at the mercy of the pain and the fear **_

_**Until we dead it, forget it**_

_**Let it all disappear. **_

Tori still had not seen anything of her friends. The same exchange was repeated with Mary day after day. Each day, Mary became a little more insistent, and Tori felt herself breaking a little more, but in the end her resolve never weakened. She wasn't ready to face them yet.

Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't ready to face them ever.

As Tori folded underclothes and socks into a bag provided by the hospital, the words of the song ran through her head over and over again. She vaguely remembered Linkin Park from her middle school days, but had never been a huge fan. Still, the words themselves had spoken to her, were speaking to her even now, so that she found herself singing under her breath:

"_Waiting for the end to come, wishing I had strength to stand. This is not what I had planned. It's out of my control. " _

Tori almost had to laugh aloud at the words. No, none of this was anything remotely like what she had planned. Lothor had been defeated. Blake would go off to Factory Blue for 3-5 years while Tori taught at the Wind Academy. Then he'd come back and they'd get married and, eventually, start a family. **That** was the plan. Not this...this nightmare from which there was no waking. The ironic part, of course, the truly bitter part of the words for her, was that Blake's death had not been out of her control. Not as far as she was concerned.

"_Flying at the speed of light, thoughts were spinning in my head...so many things were left unsaid. It's hard to let you go." _

Tori sighed and pushed a hand back through her hair, again half-laughing at the words...but simultaneously half-crying. "Hard to let you go" was an incredible understatement. "Unthinkable" was more like it. _So much has happened, and it's all come so quickly. _Tori felt dizzy every time she tried to wrap her head around it. _There is so much I wish I could have told him...so much I would have done differently...but now it has all come down to this. _

_**I know what it takes to move on, **_

_**I know how it feels to lie... **_

_What on earth am I supposed to do now? _Tori wondered. Moving on from this...would be impossible. Lying to herself and her friends about her role in Blake's death, her obvious guilt...would be impossible. And what on earth would she do if it happened again?

_"All I want to do is trade this life for something new, holding onto what I haven't got..."_

_**Sitting in an empty room trying to forget the past, **_

Tori picked up her flimsy hospital bag and slowly looked around the room where she'd spent the last week recovering. It was, quite honestly, the site of the most horrible week of her life thus far, although she was sure there would be more horrible weeks to come. She wouldn't miss it.

"_This was never meant to last. I wish it wasn't so..." _Tori mumbled to herself as she finished packing. She knew that leaving would be the hardest thing she had ever done. She wanted them. She **needed **them. But there was simply no future for their friendship, not any more. Not after all that happened, after all she had done and all the fatal mistakes she had made.

Not in light of this unpleasant new...gift, she had acquired, that had brought nothing but pain and mistrust into their previously-tight group.

Maybe, just maybe, if she left it all behind, the dreams would leave her friends alone. She didn't care much about herself; she didn't know whether her life would ever have a meaning, a purpose, again. But her friends were worth protecting, even at such a high price.

Her morose thoughts were interrupted by Mary, entering with Tori's discharge papers on a clipboard. She handed the clipboard to Tori in silence, but as she picked up a pen and began to initial and sign, Mary spoke.

"Is someone picking you up?"

"No," Tori replied, without lifting her eyes from the papers.

"Would you like me to call someone?" Mary persisted.

"No, I'll be fine," Tori stated, with more certainty than she felt. With a scribble she completed the final signature and handed the paperwork back to Mary.

"Can I tell them where you're going, at least?" Mary asked as she looked doubtfully at the papers.

"You can tell them that I left, but only after I'm actually gone. Tell them I'm sorry, but…after everything that's happened…it just has to be this way. But tell them…," she paused, wiped her eyes, and started again, "Tell them that I don't want to be found." _The question of course being, will they respect my wishes?_ _Actually_, Tori admitted to herself, _given all of this...probably yes_.

Mary nodded and went to leave. As she reached the doorframe, she stopped and turned.

"Ms. Hanson…Tori…are you sure this is what you want to do?"

"…Yes."

_**I know what it takes to move on, **_

_**I know how it feels to lie... **_

_**All I want to do **_

_**Is trade this life for something new,**_

_**Holding onto what I haven't got...**_

As Mary left the room, Tori turned back to her bedside table and the blank piece of paper waiting there.

Tori sighed and checked the wall clock. _Better get moving if I want to get home and load up my van before the guys catch on_. She reached out and carefully placed the piece of paper, now filled with writing and folded, on her bedside table, where the guys would be sure to find it. Then with another sigh and a glance around the room, she hoisted the bag over her shoulder and quietly slipped out the door and downstairs, where her cab was waiting.

_Dear Dustin, Shane, Hunter, and Cam,_

"_What was left when the fire was gone?  
>I thought it felt right but that right was wrong. <em>

_All caught up in the eye of the storm,_

_And trying to figure out what it's like moving on. _

_And I don't even know what kind of things I said, _

_My mouth kept moving and my mind went dead, _

_So picking up the pieces now, where to begin? _

_The hardest part of ending is starting again. _

_All I want to do is trade this life for something new,  
>Holding onto what I haven't got. <em>

_This is not the end, this is not the beginning, _

_Just a voice like a riot rocking every revision.  
>But you listen to the tone, and the violent rhythm <em>

_Though the words sound steady,_

_Something empty's within 'em. _

_We say Yeah! With fists flying up in the air,_

_Like we're holding onto something that's invisible there,_

'_Cause __we're living at the mercy of the pain and the fear _

_Until we dead it, forget it, let it all disappear. "_

_Guys, I am so sorry—for everything. I love you more than anything in the world, and I wish I didn't have to do this. But this is just the way it has to be._

_I will never forget any of you. Please take care of yourselves._

_Love always,_

_Tori._

**FIN**

_Next up: Cassandra's Legacy Part 4: [Title in progress]_

* * *

><p><em>Horrible? Awesome? Never speaking to me again over Blake? Let me know! <em>


End file.
